WILLEMSTAD – It remains uncertain whether the RSV vaccine for babies will be introduced in Curaçao. According to pediatrician Meindert Manshande of the Curaçao Medical Center, children on the island generally become less seriously ill from the respiratory syncytial virus than those in the Netherlands.
The discussion about the vaccine gained attention following new research suggesting that vaccination schedules may need to be adjusted for Caribbean islands. In the Netherlands, the RSV vaccine has been introduced since last winter for babies under one year old who face the highest risk during the winter season.
According to Manshande, the situation in Curaçao appears different. “We see that children here do not become as seriously ill. That raises the question of whether vaccination is necessary,” he explained.
RSV can cause severe respiratory infections in young infants. In the Netherlands, the virus regularly leads to hospitalizations and even intensive care admissions during the winter months.
“In the Netherlands, many babies are admitted to intensive care with RSV in December and January and sometimes require ventilation,” Manshande said. “Most fortunately survive, but it is obviously very stressful for parents.”
On Curaçao, however, such severe cases appear to be much less common. The Curaçao Medical Center also receives critically ill pediatric patients from other parts of the Caribbean, including Bonaire and Sint Maarten.
“We receive the most seriously ill children from the region, but we simply do not see many severe RSV cases here,” Manshande said.
For now, pediatricians on the island have discussed the issue but decided not to adopt the vaccination program yet. According to Manshande, studies are still ongoing and no final decision has been made.
Even among premature babies—who in many countries face a higher risk of severe RSV infections—serious cases appear to be relatively rare on Curaçao.
Another important difference compared to Europe is the seasonal pattern of the virus. In Europe, RSV typically follows a clear winter season from October through March.
In Curaçao, however, the virus does not follow the same pattern. “We sometimes see RSV already in June or July, but it can also appear in January. It is much more spread out over the year,” Manshande explained.
The virus appears to be more closely linked to the rainy season in the Caribbean rather than to winter months.
According to Manshande, this means that vaccination schedules used in Europe cannot simply be copied for the Caribbean. “You have to look at when it occurs here, not when it occurs in the Netherlands,” he said.
The final decision on whether to introduce the RSV vaccine will not be made by pediatricians but by the island’s youth health services and the Ministry of Health, Environment and Nature. Pediatric specialists are continuing to follow international research developments, but for now the decision remains pending.
“Nothing has been decided yet,” Manshande said. “The vaccine may eventually be introduced here, but it needs to be carefully evaluated first.”